Fire-escape.



Patnted July 1:, I899. J. E. vouns.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed June 1, 1899.)

No Model.)

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JAMES E. YOUNG, OF IVAYLAND, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,736, dated July 11,1899.

Application filed June 1,1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wayland, in the county of Steuben and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes, and pertains toamechanism involving a revolving cylinder carrying a piston or diskfitting tightlytherein and a supportingshaft for the cylinder,which isscrew-threaded to receive the disk, the cylinder being filled with oilor other liquid, whereby the descent of the person escaping is regulatedby the movement of the disk or piston against the fluid-pressure withinthe cylinder, all of which will be fully described hereinafter andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myinvention, showing it attached to a window. Fig. 2 is a detached endperspective view of the cylinder, showing the disk or piston near oneend thereof. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 4C is a detached perspective view of the piston or disk.

Referring now to the drawings, A indicates a revolving cylinder, throughwhich passes a supporting-shaft B. This supporting-shaft 13 has its endsD made angular and fitting in corresponding openings formed in thebrackets E, which are attached to opposite sides of the window-frame F,as illustrated. This cylinder A is provided with three peripheralflanges O, which form the cylinder A into two reels G and H, aroundwhich the escape-ropes j I and K are wound. These ropes I and K arewound around the reels G and II in opposite directions, whereby when onerope is being drawn downward by the weight of a person escaping theother rope is being drawn upward and wound around the other reel for theuse of another person desiring to escape from the burning building.

The shaft B is provided with a longitudinallyarranged screw thread J,extending throughout the length of the cylinder A, and placed within andfitting tightly the cylinder is a disk or piston L. This piston or diskL is provided with a central internally-screw- Serial No. 718,989. 1N0model.)

threaded opening M,whicli receives the screw threaded portion J of theshaft B.

The cylinder is provided with a longitudinal internally-arranged grooveN, into which a fin or projection P upon the disk or piston L extendsfor the purpose of causing the disk or piston to revolve with thecylinder. This disk or piston is provided with a passageway R for theescape of the liquid S, situated within the cylinder A, through thisopening and to either side of the piston as it is being forced endwisewithin the cylinder A.

The openings Q, in the ends of the cylinder, through which the shaft Bpasses, are preferably provided with stuflingboxes T of the usual formto constitute a perfectly tight joint between the shaft and the saidopenings to prevent the escape of the oil or other liquid S. i

In operation when the cylinder A is revolved by pulling downward uponeither of the ropes I or K the disk or piston L is correspondinglyrevolved owing to the projection P fitting within the groove M of thecylinder, and owing to the screw-threaded portion J of the stationaryshaft B the disk or piston L is moved endwise within the cylinder, aswill be readily understood, and the movement of thepiston, andconsequently the revolution of the cylinder A and the speed of thedescent of the escaping person,is regulated by the liquid within thecylinder A, which is being compressed by the piston or disk L and whichis allowed to escape through the passage-way R within the disk.

It will be readily understood that the speed at which the cylinder A,and consequently at which the escaping person, shall descend isregulated by the passage -way R and that this passage-way R has both ofits ends freely open for the passage of the liquid in oppositedirections, whereby when the piston or disk has been forced to one endof the cylinder by the unwinding of one of the ropes around one of thereels G or Hit will be moved to the opposite end of the cylinder by thedrawing downward of the other rope, and thus effecting a continuousfire-escape, whereby the es caping of one person winds up the rope forthe escaping of another person.

\Vhile I prefer to use a piston or disk which fits tightly within thecylinder, and. this is provided With an escape-opening, it will bereadily understood that instead. of having an escape-opening the disk orpiston could be made sufficiently loose Within the cylinder to affordthe proper escape of the liquid therearound instead of through apassage, as R,v

' for the escape of another.

The escape-ropes, which are wound around the reel of the cylinder, willbe covered with a Winding of asbestos and then cross-Wound with smallwires, making the ropes thoroughly and perfectly fireproof, whereby theywill not be burned by flame from the building or windows thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. An improved fire-escape comprising a non-rotatable shaft, a cylindersurrounding and supported by the said shaft, the cylinder provided withprojecting flanges forming reels, ropes wound around the said cylinder,a piston or disk within the cylinder and iongitudinally movable thereinbut held against relative rotation in respect thereto, the shafthavingascreW-threaded portion engaging the said disk for moving itwithin the cylinder as the cylinder is being revolved, substantially asdescribed.

2. A fire-escape comprising a non-rotatable supporting-shaft, a cylindersurrounding and supported by the shaft, a liquid practically filling thesaid cylinder, the shaft provided with a longitudiually-arrangedscrew-threaded portion Within the cylinder, a piston or disk having aconcentric screw-threaded opening for the screw-threaded portion of theshaft and longitudinally movable upon the cylinder, the disk andcylinder having respectively a projection and a groove to preventrelative rotation of the disk and cylinder, the parts adapted to operatesubstantially as described.

3. A fire-escape comprising a revolving cylinder, anon-rotatablesupporting-shaft therefor, the cylinder provided with aplurality of rope-spaces, ropes wound in opposite directions upon saidspaces and constituting reels, the shaft having an intermediatescrewthreaded portion extending from end to end within the cylinder, aliquid within the cylinder, a piston fitting the cylinder and having acentral opening to receive the screw-threaded portion of the shaft, thepiston and the cylinder having respectively a groove and a projection toprevent relative rotation thereof, substantially as described.

4. A fire-escape comprising anon-rotatable supporting-shaft, a cylindersurrounding and supported thereby, the shaft having a screwthreadedportion from end to end of the cylinder, a rope wound around thecylinder, a piston or disk Within the cylinder and having a centralopening receiving the screw-threaded portion of said shaft, the cylinderprovided with a longitudinal groove and the pistonwith a projectionfitting the said groove, the piston constructed to allow a slight escapeof the liquid thereby as it is being moved longitudinally Within thecylinder, substantially as described.

5. A fire-escape comprising a non-rotatable supportingshaft, a cylinderinclosing and supported by the said shaft, the shaft having alongitudinally arranged screw threaded portion within the cylinder andextending practically from end to end thereof, a piston or disk fittingtightly the said cylinder, and having a centralopening receiving thescrewthreaded portion of the shaft, the cylinder having a longitudinalgroove and the piston or disk a projection fitting therein, the pistonhaving a pressure-escape opening extending therethrough and throughwhich the liquid may freely escape in opposite directions, and ropesWound around the cylinder in opposite directions the parts constructedand arranged to operate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses. 4

JAMES E. YOUNG.

Witnesses:

H. J. LOVELAND, H. V. PRATT.

